François Hollande's alleged mistress, the actress Julie Gayet, makes her first public appearance since news of the dalliance broke to attend France's version of the Oscars – but went home empty-handed

Miss Gayet has appeared in around 70 French movies and TV films and is also a cinema producerPhoto: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

By Rory Mulholland in Paris

2:32AM GMT 01 Mar 2014

Julie Gayet, the actress whose dalliance with François Hollande led to the president's separation from his long-time girlfriend, on Friday appeared at France's version of the Oscars in her first public appearance since news of the affair broke.

Miss Gayet, 41, was in the running for an award for best supporting actress for her role in a political farce but was beaten by a relatively unknown youngster who played in the art house movie Suzanne.

Miss Gayet arrived alone at the Chatelet theatre in Paris for the César awards dressed in a black trouser suit and posed smiling for photographers.

Her appearance came on the same day that Valérie Trierweiler, from whom the president separated after a gossip magazine broke the news of his infidelity in early January, attended a Dior fashion show in Paris in her own first public appearance since the scandal erupted.

Miss Gayet was competing for the award with the mother of the former French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Marisa Borini, 83, had been nominated for her performance – essentially playing herself – in a semi-autobiographical movie, Un Château en Italie, directed by her other daughter Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi.

Quentin Tarantino and Scarlett Johansson also attended the ceremony at the Chatelet theatre, which saw the "Django Unchained" director handing Miss Johansson an honorary César award.

Johansson, who is engaged to a French journalist, had come in for sharp criticism in France after complaining on US television last month that Parisians' reputation for rudeness was well deserved.

Roman Polanski scooped best director award for "Venus in Fur", an edgy drama adapted from the stage play about sexual role-play.

An offbeat coming-out comedy, "Les Garcons et Guillaume, a table!" (Me, Myself And Mum) by Guillaume Galienne, scooped the top award for best film.

But most interest outside of France was focused on Miss Gayet, who has played a central part in the soap opera that made global headlines after the president was photographed arriving on a scooter for secret trysts with the actress.

The pictures, published in the gossip magazine Closer, prompted Mr Hollande to end his relationship with Miss Trierweiler, who spent a week in hospital suffering from depression after her partner's infidelity was revealed to the world.

It is not known whether the president has continued his liaison with Miss Gayet, a character actress who has appeared in more than 70 films.